This Will Only Take a Minute

by David Menear (Contributor)

100 Canadian short stories of up to 500 words. Flash Fiction. From speculative to stark realism.

Paperback

Published September 5, 2022

About the author

Menear is most often described as an edgy, urgent, gritty and sometimes ‘transgressive’ short story writer with a soft heart and a sense of humour. You find him at that place where Salinger meets Cormac McCarthy for tea and cookies.

Most Anticipated - 49th Shelf

2019 ReLit Awards finalist - Shortlisted in the short fiction category

2020 ReLit Awards finalist - Shortlisted in the short fiction category

“Your command of language is mesmerizing and I mean this as high praise when I say you write like a poet. I can see your craft choices happening at the sentence and even syllabic level, I notice the way you use sound and rhythm and I applaud that.”
Margo LaPierre, Acclaimed Poet, Author and Editor

"David Menear is one hell of a writer. We at HOOD, among the filth and infuriated beauty around us, laud him for his cutting edge and knifey work. He is a fearless, limit-crushing purveyor of high art pulp...A truly gifted writer" -Lynn Crosbie

David has spent most of his life between Toronto and Montreal, but has also lived in London, U.K. & Divonne, France. He studied art in NYC at SVA. Currently, he is back in Toronto at ‘The Beach’, writing hard and playing tennis with terrifying enthusiasm and mediocrity.

Menear is most often described as an edgy, urgent, gritty and sometimes ‘transgressive’ short story writer with a soft heart and a sense of humour. You find him at that place where Salinger meets Cormac McCarthy for tea and cookies.

David has been published in a great many publications and anthologies including Freefall, Carte Blanche, Exile, Urban Graffiti and The Danforth Review.
His recently published collection Swallows Playing Chicken was a 2019 & 2020 ReLit Awards finalist - Shortlisted in the short fiction category.

"I’m very excited & pleased to publish David’s chapbook. He covers taboo subjects with humour & daring."-Amanda Earl / DevilHouse Press

" Excellent writing is excellent writing...In these tight, sexy fictions that make up One Dead Tree, David Menear’s stories and characters uncover hitherto unexplored aspects of the Canadian urban experience. Kudos to Amanda Earl for bringing these transgressive stories to print under the DevilHouse imprint." - Urban Graffiti-Mark McCawley

Publishing History

'This Will Only Take a Minute'
(flash fiction)
Guernica Editions
Toronto 2022

'Swallows Playing Chicken'
(short story collection)
Mansfield Press
Toronto 2019

'Molten Bone'
Flash Fiction Anthology
This Will Only Take a Minute
Guernica Editions 2023


2019 & 2020 ReLit Awards finalist - Shortlisted in the short fiction category

'Tentative Brushstrokes'
(short story fiction)
Things That Matter Anthology
Toronto September 2018


'Ragged White Ice'
(short story fiction)
Danforth Review
Toronto September 2017


'Some Devils Dirty Laundry'
(short story fiction)
CommuterLit
Toronto May 2016

'Painted Turtle'
(short story/novel excerpt)
CommuterLit - Toronto April 2016

'Happy Trails'
(Flash)
One Thing
Amanda Earl Blog-Ottawa September 2015

'Some Devils Dirty Laundry'
(short story fiction)
Hood
Lynn Crosbie's Blog-Toronto May 2015

'Fern Leaves Unfurling In the Dark-Green Shade'
(short story anthology)
The Exile Book of New Canadian Noir
Exile Editions -Toronto March 2015

'River Water'
(literary short story fiction)
FreeFall Magazine – Calgary Fall 2014

'One Dead Tree'
(short story collection)
DevilHouse/AngelHouse Press – Ottawa June 2014
'Best of 2014-Sensitive Skin Magazine

'Flatline'
(literary short story fiction)
Urban Graffiti Magazine – Calgary
May 2014

'Picasso's In Prison'
(literary short story fiction)
The Danforth Review – Toronto December 2013

'Blood Runs Deep'
(literary short story fiction)
CBC Canada Writes-Toronto November 2013

'Some Devils Dirty Laundry'
(literary short story fiction)
QWF/Carte Blanche – Montreal September 2013

Poetry published in